Merganetta armata

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Pangalloanserae
Cladus: Galloanseres
Ordo: Anseriformes

Familia: Anatidae
Subfamilia: Tadorninae
Genus: Merganetta
Species: Merganetta armata
Subspecies:

Southern group: M. a. armata
Central group: M. a. berlepschi – M. a. garleppi – M. a. leucogenis – M. a. turneri
(potential future split as M. leucogenis)
Northern group: M. a. colombiana
(potential future split as M. colombiana)

Name

Merganetta armata Gould, 1842
References

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Pt9: 95.
Gutiérrez-Pinto, N., et al. 2019. Molecular and morphological differentiation among Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata) populations in the Andes. Zoologica Scripta 48 (5): 589-604.

Vernacular names
български: Андска шпореста патица
català: Ànec torrenter
čeština: Kachna bystřinná
Cymraeg: Hwyaden y cenllif
Deutsch: Sturzbachente
English: Torrent Duck
Esperanto: Torentanaso
español: Pato de los torrentes
suomi: Koskisorsa
français: Merganette des torrents
עברית: ברווז נהרות
magyar: Zuhatagi réce
italiano: Anatra di torrente
日本語: ヤマガモ
lietuvių: Andinė antis
Plattdüütsch: Bargbeekaante
Nederlands: Bergbeekeend
norsk: Strømand
polski: Zbrojówka
português: Pato-das-torrentes
Runa Simi: Mayu patu
русский: Андская утка
svenska: Forsand
Türkçe: Sel ördeği

The torrent duck (Merganetta armata) is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is the only member of the genus Merganetta. It is placed in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae after the "perching duck" assemblage to which it was formerly assigned was dissolved because it turned out to be paraphyletic.[2]

This 43–46-centimetre (17–18 in) long species is a resident breeder in the Andes of South America, nesting in small waterside caves and other sheltered spots. Like the blue duck, it holds territories on fast flowing mountain rivers, usually above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). It is a powerful swimmer and diver even in white water, but is reluctant to fly more than short distances. It is not particularly wary when located.

Male torrent ducks have a striking black and white head and neck pattern and a red bill. In flight they show dark wings with a green speculum. Females of all subspecies are somewhat smaller than the drakes; they have orange underparts and throat, with the head and upperparts grey and a yellower bill. Juveniles are pale grey above and whitish below.

The male's call is a shrill whistle, while the female's is a throatier whistle.

This is a declining species due to competition for its invertebrate food from introduced trout, pollution, forest destruction, and damming of mountain rivers for hydroelectric schemes. The Chilean population seems to be relatively stable, while the more northern ones are more seriously affected. However, the overall population is still large enough to warrant classification as a Species of Least Concern in the IUCN Redlist.
Subspecies

The subspecies taxonomy can be confusing. Males of the southern nominate subspecies M. a. armata, the Chilean torrent duck, have grey back and blackish underparts, with a chestnut belly. Males of the slightly smaller northern subspecies, the Colombian torrent duck, M. a. colombiana, are paler underneath, with streaked grey-brown underparts. Males of a third subspecies, the Peruvian torrent duck, M. a. leucogenis, are intermediate but very variable in plumage; some have entirely black underparts (turneri morph). Only males of the Chilean torrent duck have a black 'teardrop' mark beneath the eye. The Peruvian torrent duck is sometimes split into 4 subspecies (leucogenis, turneri, garleppi and berlepschi), but these are more likely simply color variations, as they are not limited to distinct areas.

Juvenile (left) and female Peruvian torrent duck on the Urubamba River, Peru
Male Peruvian torrent duck on the rocky banks of the Urubamba River, Peru
Male (top) and female Peruvian torrent duck, turneri morph
Male Chilean torrent duck near Fitz Roy, Argentina
Female Chilean torrent duck near Fitz Roy, Argentina

References

Data related to Torrent Duck at Wikispecies Media related to Torrent Duck at Wikimedia Commons

BirdLife International (2016). "Merganetta armata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22680118A92844656. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680118A92844656.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.

Livezey, Bradley C. (1986). "A phylogenetic analysis of recent anseriform genera using morphological characters" (PDF). Auk. 103 (4): 737–754. doi:10.1093/auk/103.4.737.

Steve Madge; Hilary Burn (1988). Wildfowl. Christopher Helm. ISBN 978-0-7470-2201-5.